Tales of the Titans: Misplaced
by Nitebreaker
Summary: A strangely familiar stranger appears at Titans' Tower. Inspired by Nancy171112's portrait on Deviantart. Rated for later chapters. NOW COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Tales of the Teen Titans: Misplaced:

Chapter 1: Meetings and greetings.

_This tale was inspired by the Deviantart posting of "Beast Girl," by the artist, Nancy171112, who did __such__ an outstanding job, and moved me to write this story. For some reason, I have been unable to email her and tell her what a wonderful job she did. I can only hope she's out there, and reading this. If so, please consider this my humble tribute to your excellent skills!_

Terra stuffed her dishes into the dishwasher and headed back to the room she shared with Garfield. It had been a long, hot day, and she looked forward to their nightly shower ritual.

She didn't need to signal for entry; it was her room as much as Garfield's. She just opened the door, and plopped her books and iPad in their usual spot.

Then she noticed a slight green figure seated over by the mirror. A figure that was brushing its hair. Its long, green hair.

Warning bells started going off in Terra's mind. The figure, while definitely green and wearing the red and white costume her fiancé had come to use…..something was off.

And then the figure turned, and she _knew_ something was definitely off.

Because it was the figure of a cute green _girl_ brushing _her_ hair.

For a moment, the two stared in shock at each other. The green figure recovered first. "Terry? Is—is that _you_?" She put her hands to her mouth. "My god. What—what _happened_ to you?"

Terra stared, still in shock, hands over her own mouth, her face pale, taking it in: the green skin, the uniform, the features, all the other similarities. "Garfield? Is—is that…?"

"'Garfield'? I'm Gwendolyn. Remember?" and here the figure approached her, a bit fearfully, Terra thought, looking Terra up and down, "Or….maybe you don't?"

Terra hit the alarm button.

…

Ten minutes later, the other Titans were gathered in the conference room, with some of them still rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. "Gwendolyn," or just plain "Gwen," as she preferred to be called, sat in the midst of them, in Beast Boy's usual spot.

"Okay," Robin began, "What's going on here?"

"I went back to our room, just like always, and, and, found, ub, uh, Gwen there"—she gestured at the green figure sitting next to her, "instead of Gar. I don't know what happened."

"Alright, let's begin by eliminating what we can. Raven? Can you examine Gwen, here, and see if there's been any sort of magical reason for this?"

"Of course, Robin." The sorceress got up to approach Gwen, when she noticed the latter's staring at her. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just…..you're a girl. I remember 'Ray' as a male sorcerer."

"Well, we all are what we are. Hold still a minute…." And she placed her hands on opposite sides of Gwen's head and concentrated. After a few minutes, she released her. "I can find no trace of any magics or anything that might account for any sort of transformation. I think 'Gwen,' here, must be from an alternate timeline, one where some things are….different."

Robin nodded his head. "Makes sense. We've encountered that sort of thing before. But how did she get here? And—no offense, Gwen, but—how do we get our Garfield back?"

"None taken," said Gwen, "Especially since I'm supposed to be married in a couple of days. I _gotta_ get back for that."

Terra spoke up, looking at the green girl with a certain amount of doubt. After all, they had, at one point or another, been deceived by imposters. Though it was hard to imagine a more obvious imposter. "So I'm…Terry?...in your timeline? And we're….engaged?"

"Yep. See?" She held up her left hand, displaying the ring, its large payload glittering in the room's light.

Terra sat back. "Okay. Now for the sixty-four thousand dollar question. How do we know you're _really _Gar—I mean, Gwendolyn Logan? I mean, Brainiac recently tricked a bunch of us with doppelgangers, accurate right down to the molecular level."

Gwen looked at her, an amused smirk on her face. _So much like my Garfield…_ "Let me see….if you're like my Terry, you've gotta very small birthmark right on your-*"

"It's him," Terra spoke up hastily. "I mean, her. Oh, I don't know what I mean, anymore." She laid her forehead on her hands.

Athena spoke up for the first time. "Robin. It's been my experience that, when major transuniversal changes are in the process of occurring in some timelines, sometimes things—and people—get…..misplaced. Something like stirring the waters of a pond: things get swirled about and may be transposed. I suggest we ask the Kindred if they've noticed anything unusual." She turned to the uncomfortable pair sitting next to her. "If it's any consolation, such things usually sort themselves out, eventually. Someone from another timeline usually _cannot_ remain in an alternate one without a certain amount of preparation. That may not be of much comfort to you, I realize, what with the upcoming, uhm, events." _Which I don't really understand, but I suppose that scarcely matters._

"You're right. It's not."

Robin spoke up. "Athena. You said, 'major transuniversal changes.' What _sort_ of major transuniversal changes?"

The Osiran immediately became evasive, or so it seemed to Robin. "I will confer with both Omega and the Kindred. I am sure, between the two of them, they have some knowledge of what is going on."

….

After the meeting had adjourned, Athena gathered what information she could. It wasn't much; she didn't have the scientific equipment she needed, and all she had was this small room, not much bigger than the standard bed that currently took up about half of it. That might or might not have been due to lack of space there at the tower; they were at almost max capacity. Not that she really cared all that much; she didn't _need_ a large space.

She opened the door to go to the Kindred's Hive—she was learning to open doors rather than just phase through them; an Earthly custom, and she supposed she could see the sense in it—and there, on the other side, just about to signal for entrance, stood a familiar figure: Blackfire, Starfire's sister.

Blackfire immediately backed away, hands up in the air. "Peace! I, I just wanted to check in, to let you know I'm here legally this time. See?" And she held up her left ankle, around which was a thin silver band. "I'm out on furlough. I…couldn't think of anywhere else to go." She seemed to shrink before the Osiran woman. "I just wanted to let you know before we got into another battle royal. No point in, you know.

"So I'm just here on vacation this time. Not robbing any banks, nothing like that. Just a little 'out' time. Is all.

Athena studied the Tameranean girl before her. The last time they'd met, Blackfire had deceived her into committing a crime: robbing money from a bank. She had no reason to trust the dark-haired girl at all. "Why _are_ you here?"

Blackfire looked down at the anklet around her foot. This was a very different girl than the devil-may-care mischief-maker she'd known, albeit briefly, Athena thought. Why? "Not really sure. I know Starfire won't be happy to see me; none of the Titans will. And the H.I.V.E. Five doesn't even exist, as a group, anymore." She looked down at the floor. "Well. I just wanted you to know I wasn't here to cause any trouble or anything. And you can track me anytime: here's the codes for this anklet." There was a pause while she fished something out of her duffel bag, a small disk, handing it to Athena. "I'll be going now."

"Have you a place to stay?" Athena spoke up behind her.

Blackfire half-turned. "No, but that's not really a problem for me. I can usually just find an old warehouse somewhere, that everybody's forgotten about. It's not the best accommodations, but it works for me."

"Then you may stay here. In my room, if you so wish." Athena surprised herself by saying that.

Now Blackfire stopped altogether. "Uh, say what? Stay in your room? I mean, last time, I tricked you into that bank job…."

"And I forgave you. Remember? It is past. Isn't that what forgiveness is? Besides, I can hardly claim to, to be any outstanding model of good behavior since my arrival here. Here." She led Blackfire back to her smallish room. "You may have the bed. They have reinforced it for me, but I still seldom use it."

"But—but the others, especially Starfire…..!"

Athena shrugged. "They have allotted me this space, this room. Until they say otherwise, it is mine to do with as I see fit. And I see fit to share it with you. That is, if you wish to." She smiled. "I'm sure it beats sleeping in an alleyway or deserted building."

_It certainly does,_ thought Blackfire. She hadn't anticipated this _at all._

The last time they'd met, Blackfire had tricked Athena into committing a crime for the H.I.V.E. Five, that of robbing a bank. Acting as if it were completely impulsive, she'd then thrown her arms around the alien powerhouse and kissed her, on the lips, in an "accidental" effort to learn the Osiran's native language.

How could she have known Athena didn't _have_ a native language? That Osirans normally communicated by means of a shared Link, the artificial telepathic equivalent of a broadband internet connection? So she'd gotten a _whole lot more_ than just a language. She'd gotten the alien girl's thoughts, feelings….going back _years._

And since Osirans have racial memory, she'd also gotten the thoughts and feelings of all the warriors in Athena's specific gene-line, all those who had contributed genetic matter for her creation. Plus an unexpected sideline: since Athena had been forced to undergo a mind-share with Omega some years back, she'd also gotten _his_ thoughts and feelings, going back years. And more than mere years: all the warriors who'd contributed to _his_ essence also flooded her unprepared brain.

She'd learned of Athena's _true_ feelings regarding Omega, why she wanted him dead, why she didn't believe they could ever be what they once were. Once, they were friends; she didn't know if they could ever be that again. Somewhere in the farthest reaches of the back of her mind, however, she had fantasized about being something _more_ than just friends…..

…..Except he was already in relationship with Kitten. And Kitten was also her friend.

Plus, there had been something dark and horrible in the very darkest, most secretive corners of Athena's mind, something Blackfire had found to be incredibly upsetting, even without knowing what it was. All she could tell about it was, it was bad raised to the tenth power.

It was a little like sitting down to do some light reading, and having the entire Encyclopedia Britannica shoved into your head, all at once, along with several history books and the daily news feeds from around the globe.

And something had changed about her, and her perspective. Previously, Blackfire had been the center of her own private universe. It existed solely to serve her.  
>And why not? She was the center of it, after all. That was part of her sibling rivalry with Starfire: Starfire wasn't the center of her universe; what was she doing there, anyway? Stealing her limelight?<p>

But now…..now, her _perspective_ had changed. There were actually _other people_ out there, people who _mattered,_ if not to her, then to themselves.

And some of them just might matter to her, as well.

"Well, I mean…..you're sure it won't cause a problem? With the others, I mean?"

"No, I am not sure of that at all. But my offer stands. If problems arise, I shall deal with them however best I can. You've stayed here in the Tower before. And I will scarcely be here, anyway. A problem has arisen with one of our members, and I will most likely be, most of the time, at the Kindred's hive."

"A problem?" Blackfire said, moving back towards the room, without being completely conscious that she was doing so. Soft beds and hot showers sounded soooo good….."What sort of problem?"

"We seem to have a transuniversal swap. One of our members has apparently somehow been switched with his counterpart from another universe.

"Really? Who?"

"Beast _Boy_ is now apparently Beast _Girl._ And his and Terra's wedding is imminent, so we have to see what we can do about switching them back."

"I'll bet they're both all for that." Without actually realizing it, Blackfire had put her duffel bag down in Athena's room. "When did this happen?"

…..

Garfield and Terra's room. The two girls stood, looking at anything except each other.

Neither of them could move out, even temporarily. The Tower was full, and Terra's old room was full of the Osiran matter/energy manipulator mechanism.

"So," began Terra, sitting down on the bed, "Tell me a little bit about yourself?"

Gwen shrugged. The gesture was almost perfect Garfield. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Well, let's see. Are all the Titans gender-switched over, over there in your universe?"

The green girl came over and sat by her on the bed. "Not all. Robin's still Robin, and Starfire and Cyborg's the same, but Ray—I mean to say, Raven-*"

"Yeah, you mentioned something about her….being a him, over there. Somehow, I just can't see it."

"Yeah, well, he is. He's a pretty melancholy dude, too. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was prone to depression or something."

"So how do you and he…relate…..to one another?

Beast Girl looked up sharply, having caught the inflection. "Relate? _Oh. I_ see what you're asking. No, we're just good friends, maybe best friends. Especially after the way that bitch Malchia led him on the way she did."

"Malchia? You mean Malchi-Ohhh, I see….."

"Yeah. He was pretty busted up about that." The green girl sat back on the bed, one knee clasped in front of her, in a gesture so familiar to Terra that it almost brought tears to her eyes. "We had several long talks. Probably longer than he's ever had with anyone, ever since he came to this—well, the other, but you know what I mean—dimension. Once, right after it happened, I," and here Gwen looked up at Terra, in a sort of embarrassed way. "I kinda ended up spending the night with him. I mean, nothing happened, you understand…..I just didn't feel comfortable leaving him alone. So I…..stayed over. And yeah, in the same bed. But nothing happened. Neither one of us wanted to go there. Although," she said, blushing furiously, "I…was, y'know, willing. You know, if he, like, needed it or something. But we talked it over and both of us decided not to, we wanted to remain good friends, but not…you know, anything else. I, uhm, haven't busted anything up for you and your Garfield, have I?"

Terra laughed. "Oh, no. It's alright. Besides, your sex life is none _my_ business. Anyway," she thought for a moment, "I can kinda see my Garfield as doing the same thing. If she, if she needed or wanted it. Him, I mean, if she was willing, of course. He would'a been scared half out of his mind, but that wouldn't have stopped him. And you know what? I wouldn't have been jealous of it. At all. I mean, two best friends, one comforting the other when she needed it the most. It would've been…..well, sweet, that's the only word I can think of for it."

Gwen nodded. "Yeah. That's kinda the way I felt. A little freaked out—okay, a lot freaked out-, but I wasn't gonna let that stop me….if he, like….needed me, you know."

Terra switched the subject. It _was_ getting into some areas she didn't really feel comfortable with. And there was something she wanted to know. "But there's one thing I gotta ask: did 'Terry' ever work for Slade, betray the Titans?"

Again Gwen nodded. "But it was all based on a lie. Slade told him that without a certain component, some kinda chemical or something, that he'd go crazy, destroy the world." Her expression darkened. "But then when he started beating on _my_ Terry…..it pushed _all_ of my buttons, all at once."

"He beat Terry?" Terra could easily remember the beatings she'd endured, under Slade. She'd tried hard to forget, but pain is a hard thing to lose.

"He sure did. Once. But only once. He was trying to get Terry to kill all of us in some abandoned mine or cave or something. When he wouldn't do it, Slade turned on him, knocking him all over the place. I'm afraid I went all prehistoric on him," she admitted, a little shamefacedly. "Literally. I, uhm, er, well, I kinda ate him. As a T-Rex." The green girl shivered at the recollection, holding her stomach. "First meat I'd ever eaten. Over the lips and past the gums. He didn't taste good at all. Took a whole gallon of Pepto to get me right again."

"You _ate_ him? I mean, you actually _ate_ him? As in _ate him_ ate him?" Terra was somewhere between being horrified, proud, and maybe just a little envious.

"Yeah. I'm just hoping there's no truth to the old saying, 'you are what you eat.'" She frowned, looking, for a moment, ten years more mature. "But _no_body beats on my man. _Nobody._"

Terra nodded herself. "I think that's something you and I can both totally agree on, one hundred percent." She checked her watch. "Well. Shower time." Both girls stood up and started to undress, pulling at their clothes. Then they stopped, both looking at each other. "Oh."

"Yeah. Uhm."

"_Awkward,_" they both chorused, looking away.

…

"I don't believe this. _Blackfire,_ the Blackfire, _that _Blackfire, the same Blackfire you wanted to kill last time she was here, is actually _staying in your room?_ _Your_ room, of all places? " Robin couldn't believe his ears.

"Yes. Robin, perhaps I'm missing something but I fail to see the problem. Besides, she seems…..different than she was before. Go talk to her and you'll see what I mean."

"Forget about talking to _her."_ He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm wondering how I'm gonna explain this to Starfire. They don't exactly get along these days, you know."

"Do you need me to explain it to her?

"No, no. I'll come up with something. I just hope nothing….happens….before I can come up with that something."

Athena found Omega in the underground control room they'd recently installed. "You are aware of what has happened?"

He nodded without looking away from the monitors. "Yes. Evidently, some sort of transposition has taken place. What worries me is _why._"

She came up behind him, all the while wondering where Kitten was. Usually the two were almost inseparable. "Your thoughts?"

"Generally speaking, such transpositions only take place when there is a massive disturbance in the timelines. And not long ago, the others went on a mission into space to rescue Starfire. The Orb detected something out there that it really didn't want to meet, and that it urged them not to meet, either. I saw the reports on the…state of the Gordanians they found there." Pause. "It all correlates with the other data I've collected. The Hunters told us about a desolate sector they passed through….and now, this is transpiring."

She gazed at the instruments alongside him. "What?"

"I've been keeping tabs on that region of space. Several inhabited worlds…have dropped out of communication. And look." He indicated a monitor.

She shook her head. "I see nothing. The monitor isn't even on."

"It was up until a few minutes ago. And before that—" He pointed to another set of consoles. "Those have been remote-repaired. But up until a few minutes ago, they, too, were nonfunctional"

She saw. "And these areas being scanned….are in a direct line towards Earth."

He nodded. "Exactly. Whatever is knocking out my scanners…..is coming this way."

"What do you suppose it could be?"

"I have no idea."

She was silent for a while. Then, "Well, I will be consulting the Kindred regarding this…problem we seem to have. Do you suppose you will be needing me for anything here?"

He glanced at her, smiling. "No, this matter of 'Beast Girl/Boy' is something more along your line of expertise. I doubt I would have anything to offer there; of us all, I cannot think of anyone better qualified to research this matter, and possibly find a solution."

She looked thoughtful. "I certainly hope I can come up with something, though the matter may well be beyond any scientific knowledge any of us possess. Still," she continued, "what has happened once, can certainly happen again, under the right circumstances. I just have to determine what those are."

"You'll find them. I have faith in you."

She sighed. "That makes one of us."

_To be continued…_


	2. Chapter 2: Horror

Misplaced, chapter 2: Horror

_Again, I can't thank Nancy171112 enough for the picture of "Beast Girl" that inspired this story. Those of you who read this, I urge you to go to the Deviantart webpage and do a search for Nancy171112, and see the picture I'm talking about for yourself. Yes, __that's__ Gwendolyn Logan. It's really good. And, while you're there, check out some of her other work while you're at it. It's definitely praiseworthy._

_I don't own the Teen Titans._

Beast Girl, Gwen, sat in her lotus position, in the room she now had to share with Terra. It had been weird, the similarities to her fiancé. She, Terra, was even a little taller than Gwen was, almost Terry's height. They had decided to take turns showering; she'd freshened up and was now seated in the middle of the room, with Terra lying in bed.

She'd learned a lot from her association with Ray: meditation aided her in controlling her powers.

Evolution is a powerful force. So she reached back, back, ever back into the farthest reaches of her mind. Back to the level of enzymes floating in the sea….then to single cell organisms…her full mind was in those simple forms of life. She searched, trying to recollect some information on why and how she'd been transposed with Beast Boy.

Onward and upward the evolutionary ladder she climbed. There had to be some reason, something that had singled _her_ out for transposition. And so she searched.

It was not a restful meditation, and try as she might, she could come up with nothing of any significance that might explain it. So after a while, she decided to rest.

There was only one bed in the room.

Gwen changed into her sleep shirt, and climbed into bed alongside Terra, but as far over to the other side as possible. After all, she didn't want to disturb Terra's rest, she told herself.

But she found herself missing her Terry, the way they wrapped their arms around each other when in bed, just the physical and emotional closeness she'd come to take for granted. It wasn't there. This wasn't Terry, and she had no one to cling to, while she sought sleep.

The thought brought a single tear from her eye, running down the side of her face, onto her pillow.

…

In the underground complex that served for their more massive machines, Omega was going over some statistics. They didn't help his state of mind.

Several worlds in a direct line to Earth had simply dropped out of contact. Search teams had found no sign of living beings on these planets; no animals, no plants, not even any protozoa. And, of course, no people, either. Just the dry, lonely wind, blowing mournfully over an empty world.

There was no trace of where they could have gone or what could have happened to them. They were simply not there. Everything was in order; in some houses, meals had been laid out, but were uneaten. He understood there were some similar cases like that on Earth, in the past. But nothing on a world-wide scale.

Something occurred to him: those meals had contained meats and vegetables of various sorts. And the meats and vegetables had themselves disappeared, as well. So whatever factor was at work, seem to work on anything made of living or formerly living matter. He wondered if anybody had bothered to check the cemeteries, on those worlds that had that custom.

He had a strong hunch what they wouldn't find.

He put everything onto a datacube. Perhaps the more powerful Kindred computers could make some sense out of it.

_And just as he thought that, an image cascaded through his mind: Athena, his friend, naked, tied spread-eagled to a framework, with the Lord Natal enthusiastically using her. Athena's face showed no emotion whatsoever; she'd been so thoroughly conditioned that she saw this as just another duty she must perform for her Lord and Master. She wasn't even aware of what was happening, at least, not on a conscious level._

_She was lashed to the framework with bindings made of carbodinum, a very strong material, but not unbreakable. The real ropes, the real chains, were in her mind. She'd been raped, not just physically, but mentally, as well._

_The horror of the image seared itself into his brain as if with a branding iron. "No. Go away," he told it, uselessly, clutching his head with his hands. "I never saw that happen! I don't even know if it did!" It did no good whatsoever; somehow, he __knew__ this had happened, and that it had happened in __exactly __this __way__. That only added to the horror. He was powerless to save his friend, and he would __always__ be powerless to save her, for it had already happened._

_He fell to the floor. Glass test-tubes on the other side of the chamber rattled and tinked against each other as his full nineteen-ton weight slammed against the flooring. But, curiously enough, even though he was now comparatively motionless, the tinkling and rattling became __stronger__, as if a train were going by outside. But the laboratory was underground…. "Get out of my mind!" But the images remained, clearer than the laboratory he was now in. The sheer horror of it grew; he had no defense against it. The loose laboratory equipment vibrated more strongly._

_He opened his eyes. It was all he could do to keep the heat beams from lashing out, exploding against the far wall of the complex._

_He wanted to kill something._

_He had to get away before he did._

…_.._

Upstairs, in the TV room, Raven, already changed into her sleeping gown and wearing the robe she normally wore over it when she got up during the night, was staying up late to see a documentary. She immediately felt the emotional waves coming from below. Something was wrong, very very wrong. She reached out with her senses….it was coming from the underground complex they'd recently installed. She took the elevator down.

Omega was on the floor, hands clasped to the sides of his head, obviously in severe agony of some sort. As soon as the elevator doors had opened, she could literally _feel_ the waves of emotion exploding off of him, like standing too close to a raging forest fire; they actually pushed her back against the back of the elevator car with palpable force, but then she steeled herself and pushed forward.

"No…." Omega managed to gasp. "Don't…..come any closer. Don't!"

"Let me help you."

"No…..might hurt you….just stay away. Got to….gotta go somewhere safe…where I won't hurt anyone…."

"Let me help." And she extended her soul-self around him.

The vast outpouring of sheer _emotion_ was like grabbing hold of a live coal. Raven's soul-self convulsed, while Raven herself let out a scream and fell to her knees, holding her head. But she persisted, draining off the flood of emotions a little at a time, like trying to empty a lake with a tea cup.

She saw the images in his mind, of his friend being used the way she had been, and felt the limitless _horror_ he felt, at not being able to save her. Saw the Lord Natal use Athena not once, but many many times…..

And she saw Omega kill the Lord Natal, personally breaking him bare-handed. Lords were powerful, but no force-shield, no amount of mere strength in existence can stand up to the power of a warrior imbued with _ki_. He'd felt no joy then; it was simply something he felt he had to do. But now…..

Now a barbaric, not even slightly civilized emotion related to joy in the same sense that the sun is related to a candle flame poured out of him. It was like a super orgasm, or a chemical high. He wanted to do it again, and again, and again. It was actually almost _addictive_…

Omega wanted to _kill._

Raven cried out, throwing her head back, as the colossal flood of emotions threatened to overwhelm her. But she persisted, draining off what she could, a little here, a little there…..

After about an hour and a half, she felt the flood of emotions beginning to decrease. Omega's own control was reasserting itself. He began to show signs of decreasing emotional agony. Finally, he got up from his all-fours position, stood up, and approached her. She was sitting on the floor, her back up against the wall by the elevator, sweat pouring off of her in buckets. The perspiration dripped off her hair, which was plastered against her head, and her gown and robe was as soaked as if she'd fallen into the pool. She'd definitely need another shower after all this. She watched him approach her a little apprehensively; she was so spent, there was nothing she could do to protect herself from the savage creature she'd sensed within him. But he simply sat down beside her, pressing his back up against the wall beside her. "You really shouldn't have done that. You could have been hurt. But thank you."

She gave him a small smile, leaned against him. It was good to have someone, some _human_ contact, to lean against, besides the wall. And this _was_ Omega, _her _Omega, not the monster she'd sensed earlier. Some of the sweat still dripping off of her hair now started dripping down his back, and running down the front of his uniform. He didn't seem to notice. "You're my friend, Omega. That's what friends do. Get used to it." She became serious. "Was it really like that for Athena?"

He nodded. "I believe so. I didn't see any of it for myself, you understand. But…somehow I am sure it was like that. I wonder…" He paused, leaning his head back against the wall, and closing his eyes. "I wonder….if we really did her any favors, eliminating the Lords' control over her, and restoring her memory."

Raven shook her head. Water droplets swung away from her hair in an arc. _What she must have gone through. And now she remembers it all. _ "I'm not trying to sound hard-hearted, but…..one has to get used to the bad along with the good. I know it hurts…and hurts _a lot…_but once she does work through it, she will be a stronger person for it. Even as I was. Even as Starfire was. Even as Robin was. Even you." He looked surprised. "Oh, yes. You're going through what will be a bad memory, a bad time for you, right now. And you told us yourself: back on Osira, the Lords could just 'turn off' your emotions. But that led to you not having any controls of your own. Don't you see?

"And she has _you_ to help her. That's more than a lot of people have.

"And while I don't particularly _like_ her, I," and here she took a deep breath "….am not completely adverse to the notion of helping her, if I can, if she'll let me. I don't have to like her to help her, I guess."

"If it really comes down to it, we'll see. It is true she has some horrible memories to work through, but she seems to be coping with them, at least for the present. Though I appreciate your offer, in light of what she did to you."

"Well, as Garfield keeps telling me, it was only a book. And a mostly educational one at that. He tells me it could've been worse." She looked off across the lab, resting her head against both him and the wall behind them, closing her eyes, momentarily distracted by the ordeal they'd both been through. "Of course, he's right. She only asked about a book, a totally academic object, such as any local library might have. Of course," she continued, spots of color coming into her cheeks,"it was still, uhm, rather embarrassing."

"Raven. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with you having such a book. It contains information that I hope someday soon you will put to good use. I know you have not asked for my opinion, but I really see nothing embarrassing about you possessing a book on that subject. Let me ask you a question: would you really think anything of it, should it come to light that, say, Starfire had such a book? What about Kitten? No? Well, why should it be embarrassing that you did? Nobody else thinks anything of it. I'd have heard, if they had. Super-hearing, remember? You may be part demon, but that doesn't keep you from being human, as well, and having human needs and desires.

"I understand," he continued, "that there are things in all our lives we'd just as soon not be made public. I'm coming to terms with some of those myself. But attempting to pretend that we are something other than what we are is, well, first off, impossible, and secondly, actually dangerous." She looked up at him. "Oh, yes. Trying to hold ourselves to a standard that just isn't us, that isn't _real,_ can be dangerous, most probably dangerous to our health, certainly dangerous to our psychological well-being. And, perhaps most importantly, to our relationships with others."

She paused while she took it all in. Omega was not used to emotion; for him, this was a baring of his soul. She felt….good, that he trusted her enough, thought enough of her to do so. "Omega, I have to tell you something. Something extremely personal, I'm afraid. You know I'm an empath, right? I can sense emotions. And….I've sensed some emotions from Athena…regarding you. Just the faintest wisp or two here and there. More than just friend-type emotions, if you get my drift."

He was silent for a long moment. Then, "Well, that can never be. I love Kitten. I may love Athena as a friend, but I've never felt for her what I feel for Kitten. It's as simple as that."

_I hope it remains that way,_ though Raven. A love triangle between these three could definitely be a…divisive element in the group. "Anyway, I know what I've sensed, Omega."

"There's a human story. Many years ago, a British general was giving a speech at West Point Academy, after which, a young man arose with a question. 'General, sir, isn't it true that, if the Nazis had succeeded in their heavy-water experiments in developing atomic weapons, and, with a delivery system in the form of the V-2 rockets, that the outcome of the World War II might've been very different?'"

"The general looked at the young man for a long time, then said, 'My dear young sir. If your uncle had been plumbed a bit differently, he might've been your aunt, mightn't he?'"

Raven laughed heartily. This was more than just a quiet chuckle, like she might normally do. She literally laughed until she was out of breath. She hadn't known Omega even _knew_ any Earth jokes.

"I guess the point of that story is, things are the way they are. Maybe, if things had been different back in the Empire, well….things might be different. But they weren't, and I love Kitten now. And….that's just the way things are. I wouldn't want to hurt Kitten. That wouldn't be…right."

Another pause while she took all that in. Interesting that a creature who was a stranger to the emotional world, would've come so quickly to understand the concept of _morality,_ as least as humans understood it,as well. Indeed, a lot of _humans _wouldn't have understood it so well. But she still knew what she'd sensed. She only hoped nothing…happened.

Well, anyway. But… "Omega. About what just happened to you: when and how did these images come into your mind? And from _where? _And, is that sort of thing likely to happen again? What _was_ all that, anyway?"

"I only know the when: about two hours ago. I don't know why or what or where. But, as for what happened, please try to remember, with regards to me, you're dealing with someone with very little emotional controls. What humans are accustomed to, is new territory to me. Plus, you just saw who knows how many years of repressed _emotions_ coming forth. You were trying to put out the emotional equivalent of an oil well fire with your bare hands." He paused, his expression growing even more solemn. "You could have been….hurt. Badly. I….couldn't stand it if one of my friends was…damaged…by something I did. I'll have to make some sort of arrangements for the future, should that sort of thing happen again. Maybe some sort of insulated room or something."

"Do you think it might have been an actual _attack_ from some source?"

"I don't know. If so, it certainly zeroed in on _my_ vulnerabilities."

She was really too tired to say anything else. Her garments, her sleeping gown and robe, were sticky, drenched in sweat, and she could feel droplets of it still dripping off the back of her hair, trickling down her back; a most unpleasant sensation. It was good to just sit there, leaning against him.

_To be continued…_


	3. Chapter 3: Bondings

Misplaced, chapter 3: Bondings

_Once again, many thanks to Nancy 171112 for posting her rendition of "Beast Girl" that inspired this story. Nancy, if you're out there, I hope you're enjoying reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!_

…..

They just sat there for a while, with an exhausted Raven leaning against him, taking in what he'd just said. She knew, as far as the emotional explosion he'd just exhibited, if he'd had more information, he'd have given it. He just didn't have it.

After a long while, he finally broke the silence. "Guess it's too late for your documentary, isn't it?"

She shook her head. "I'm….not in the mood, anyway. I'll just buy the blu-ray. Or stream it in, if it's available."

He got up and, to her surprise, picked her up. "Well, let me take you to your room, at least. You're worn out." She didn't say anything, because it was true: she _was_ bushed, as if she'd just run several kilometers. (She looked back, surprised she hadn't left an expanding puddle of water on the floor.) They got into the elevator car, went up to Raven's floor.

"Uhm, Omega? I'd hate for anybody to see you carrying me down the hallway like this….." _Like a bridegroom carrying a bride._

"Don't worry, Raven. Nobody will see us. Photon manipulation, remember? We're basically invisible. Besides, I doubt you could walk three yards in your current state." And, just as he said that, Starfire and Haywire came around the corner, with Starfire obviously telling Hank one of her incomprehensible Tameranean jokes. "And then the _glabnorf_ said, 'But I have to go to _gligglespoob!'_" She began laughing uproariously.

Hank laughed along with her, but it was clear he had no idea what he was laughing at.

Neither one of them even so much as glanced at the silver-and-black clad Osiran, nor Raven, in his arms.

Raven grinned crookedly, just a little. Invisibility wasn't impossible for her, but it was very difficult, requiring certain preparations that were awkward to make. This could actually be kind of fun. Ah, but no. One must maintain a certain sense of decorum, here.

She sniffed at her wrist lightly, self-consciously. "I must smell to the higher heavens…"

He shrugged slightly. "Couldn't say. My kind have no sense of smell."

They reached the door to Raven's room. He phased through it and walked up to the door to her bathroom. "Here, Raven. I will only go this far, of course. The rest is up to you. Think you can make it? I could call Starfire, or Kitten, if you don't think you can."

"That's alright, Omega. I believe I can do this on my own." The notion of Starfire helping her shower just wasn't for her; Raven was a very private person, and Starfire's people had altogether different ideas about personal nudity, or, for that matter, sexuality, than she was used to or, indeed, really comfortable with. It had made for some interesting times when she first came to Earth to live. One in particular.

"Well, I can at least get you a fresh gown. Here." He opened a drawer, got her one, and handed it to her. Turned to go, when he was interrupted by her mild _hrrumph._

"You, uh, went right to the drawer where my gowns are kept." She said, raising an eyebrow at him.

He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, not halting his progress towards the door at all. "Lucky guess?" And with that, he phased out of the door, leaving Raven to smile a very slow smile, there at the doorway to her bathroom.

….

Meanwhile, just less than a hair's breadth away, on the other side of time….

"Any luck?" asked Beast Boy. He was doing his best not to hang over the shoulder of the sorcerer known as Ray. He knew these things take time, and he didn't want to break Ray's concentration. And he could tell Ray _was_ concentrating, concentrating with a fierce determination that would not be denied.

But oh how he missed his Terra.

For his part, the powerful sorcerer known to the others only as _Ray_ studiously avoided looking at Beast Boy whenever he could, although trying not to be obvious about it. It disturbed his concentration. He deliberately had his hood up for that very reason. The _similarities_ were just so _strong_…..

He remembered that awful yet wonderful night, when the dragoness Malchia had led him on, used him so, then tossed him aside like so much garbage, for disposal. And who had it been, to comfort him, to be with him, but the very one he'd previously looked down upon, as though she were somehow inferior? Gwen. She'd insisted on staying with him that night, even though he demanded she leave, insisted that she leave him alone, at one point even going so far as to threaten to turn her into the world's easiest Rubik's cube, and they'd talked. And those first casual words led to more words, words of a more intimate nature. She'd asked, and he'd told her about how he'd come to meet Malchia, in and from the pages of the cursed book, their relationship, how it had grown (he had thought), his hopes and dreams that had all been dashed. Finally, they'd ended up in bed, still talking, sharing a pillow, with her holding him, rather than the other way around, as he'd always imagined it would be, her hand underneath their pillow, around the back of his head. Holding him close to her, letting him see that there was nothing wrong with being so close to another. And when the pain resurfaced, as she'd known it would, and the words began to spill out rather more emotionally than he'd intended for them to, and the tears came, she was there, holding him close, gently kissing the tears away.

With anyone else, it might have been the start of something, and, in a way, it was. It was the beginning of an Olympian level friendship. There was literally nothing the twain would not do for each other.

"Luck has little to do with it. There is a certain juxtaposition, an alignment of universes, that must occur. The two universes _must_ be fairly close, in hypertime, or the transposition would never have taken place in the first place. Fortunately, we don't have to move a whole universe into place," though in fact, he was prepared to do exactly that, to get _his_ Gwen back, "Just our small corner of it. If my counterpart is working from the same angle, and I see no reason why she should not be, it will take place. Be patient, is all I can say; all that can be done, is being done."

Had anyone else there been in anyway conversant in the mystic arts, they would have heard what Ray didn't actually come out and say, what he would never really come out and say, point blank: that he was literally moving heaven and Earth to get Gwen back.

_To be continued…_


	4. Chapter 4: Failure

Misplaced, chapter 4: Failure

_Once again, this story was inspired by Nancy171112's portrait of "Beast Girl" posted on Deviantart. If those of you reading this want to see what Gwendolyn Logan looks like, look up her works. There she is! How could any guy __not__ fall in love with her?_

_Far, far out beyond the region of space humans really knew that much about (except that they could, after a fashion, see the light from distant stars), something moved. It was, of course, much too far away for even the very best telescopes to see it, and, had any telescope been in the vicinity, it would have been extremely unwise to gaze upon it. But it was moving, and it had a destination. _

_A most unfortunate destination, for the beings living upon it._

…

In her room, Raven sat in the middle of her magic circle. What she was about to try wasn't going to be easy. She had to tap into forces unlike any she'd previously attempted. There were no road signs to guide her, but she did have help.

Terra and Gwen sat opposite to each other. As Raven had explained, they both had a bond in this matter: both had loved ones they would be drawn to. And although she had never said it, she, herself, was one of those: she would not rest until Garfield was back where he belonged. "Concentrate," she told them, "especially on your memories of them. Remember the way they looked, felt, acted, everything. Any particularly touching memories of them, anything with a strong emotional attachment." She'd checked and rechecked; the alignment would never be stronger than tonight.

_Gwen remembered a very special night, after Slade had been defeated. Of course, Terry had had to deal with a bit of injured male pride: his __girlfriend__ had saved him. But he was mature enough to work past that._

_And once he had, he found he felt a certain sense of secret smugness: his girlfriend had not just beaten the big bad bogey-man, she'd __eaten__ the big bad bogey-man. Face it: how many guys ever got the chance to say __that__?_

_They had been to the movies, and seen a replay of Disney's animated movies, on of which was __Tarzan.__ Somehow, the song, "Strangers Like Me" had gotten stuck in both their heads. _

_Much later on, they'd come to realize that, and call it "their song," for it was true: they were both strangers to the world of men, but now…now they were strangers together. They weren't alone anymore._

_Afterwards, they had gone to the beach, together. It was nighttime, and everybody else had gone in. She had leaned against him, and he had leaned a bit against her. They lay back, almost by reflex going into each other's arms, beginning a passionate bout of kissing._

_And they were alone. They had been victorious over a formidable foe. Perhaps a bit of a special celebration was called for._

_They both wanted to wait for that special night, after taking the vows, but there was nothing wrong with a little noninvasive, nonpenatrative exploration and foretaste, now, was there?_

…_._

_Terra remembered that night before the invasion of Apokolips. She'd insisted. After all, it might be their last night on Earth. Or any other planet._

_He'd been….not exactly reluctant, for he wanted it as much as she did, but perhaps it was best to say he was unsure. Unsure that he knew what to do, how best to please her. True, he had before, but that had been….a little different. Now they were going all the way._

_She remembered the cautious way he'd entered her, fearful of hurting her. Guys, especially virgin guys, always worried about hurting their girls like that. (Well, she amended, guys that __cared__ about their girls worried about that; Slade certainly hadn't.) Her reassurances…his mounting eagerness, their increasing joy….and afterwards, the wonderful afterglow, the two of them lying in each other's arms, joined, now truly of one flesh…._

_For Raven, it had been two things, but a bit more subtle than the others: one, that awful time after Malchior had so abused her, and Beast Boy—Garfield—had stood outside her door, telling her, reassuring her, that she wasn't alone. She'd opened her door-and fallen upon him, like a starving man at a banquet._

_True, the moment hadn't lasted long, due to Cyborg's ill-timed stankball, but, for Raven, it had been a moment of almost indescribable intimacy, more than she'd ever had before. Just to hold another close, to feel the beating of another heart, to feel someone's arms around her…._

_And then the time, after the night she'd discovered the champagne in the fridge, and gotten so sloshed she didn't even remember making clumsy advances to him. He'd protected her when she'd needed it the most. Accustomed to having only herself to rely on, that was like finding an oasis in the middle of a desert. And then, the next morning, when she was more in control, when the memories had been dealt with, and he'd told her to just get some more rest….just the knowledge that he was __there__, had been there, and that he could be _trusted_ to take care of her….she'd deliberately not locked her door that time, not because she'd wished/hoped that he'd return for any amorous adventures, but just to signify the removal of a barrier between them. The others had returned on time, but had they not, perhaps Gar would have returned, and they could have….talked…._

_For Raven, that had been a very cherished moment, more so than anything with Malchior, who, she'd sensed, on some level, was just saying what she wanted to hear…._

…

_Membrane theory of the multiverse: universes lie like pages in an infinite book, one against the other. But sometimes they move…._

_From one such membrane, one such page, a dimple began to form, seeking another membrane, one lying very close by._

_Another dimple, in the universe just opposite it, almost like two tornados touching down, funnel clouds reaching for the Earth, except it was as if a funnel cloud reached __up__ from the Earth, straining to make contact with the one coming down from the sky….._

_Two funnel clouds reaching blindly for each other, striving for the impossible: a connection of one universe to another…._

_In his universe, Ray was straining like he'd never done before. This __had__ to work; he __had__ to get Gwen back for her wedding. He __would__not__ fail her. He'd sooner die. And if these actions today meant his death, then so be it._

_In her universe, Raven strained to the utmost. She had the others' memories to be guiding lights to the other souls, the misplaced ones. It had to be enough. It just had to be._

_It wasn't._

_To be continued…._


	5. Chapter 5: Sacrifices

Misplaced, chapter 5: Sacrifices

_Once again, I sing the praises of Nancy171112, whose Deviantart post of "Beast Girl" inspired this story. Whoever reads this, look it up! And check out her other stuff, while you're there. She really has talent._

_I don't own the Teen Titans_

Raven's universe: there was a shock that ran throughout the entire building, and the candles flared and went out, leaving the participants in darkness. Raven herself was jolted back, not physically pushed back, but it was obvious the connection was severed. The backlash laid her out on the floor.

Gwen and Terra immediately went over to her. She was conscious, but subdued. "I….I'm sorry, Gwen. We, well, we missed. We couldn't make the connection."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's try again!"

Raven held her head. This wasn't going to be easy to explain, or pleasant. "There, there's no point. By now, even though only a few moments have passed, the two universes are beginning to diverge in the hypertime stream. We, we simply missed, that's all."

"Are—are you saying, I'm stuck here?!"

Raven sighed. "No. You will, eventually, be snatched back into your own universe. But that might not happen for….some time. And time will pass in your universe, as well."

"But, but…!"

"I'm sorry, Gwen. I hate to admit it, but I've done all I can. We had one shot, basically, and we missed. I, I'm sorry. But it's just beyond my power to do."

Everyone was silent, sitting there in the darkness. Then, the silence was broken by the sound of a sob. Raven couldn't tell if it came from Terra or Gwen. Or from herself.

…..

"We missed," said Ray.

"Missed? Dude, what do you mean?"

"I mean the juxtaposition between the two universes….is no more. Now they are moving apart from each other, in hypertime. We were, in a sense, trying to grab each other's hands in passing…and missed."

Garfield was silent for a long time. "So, am I, like, trapped here?"

"No. Sooner or later, you will be transposed back to your universe. But it looks like later rather than sooner….and time will continue to pass in each universe."

"So….now what?" Beast Boy was having a hard time keeping himself together. Would he ever get to walk down that aisle, with his beloved? Her counterpart, Terry, was looking like he was fit to burst. "There's gotta be _something_ we can do!"

Ray levitated to his feet. This would require some acting on his part. He just hoped he was up for it. He made his face into a carefully sculpted mask of neutrality. Could he maintain that? No time like the present to find out. "The both of you, return to your living quarters. I have some research to do."

"_Research?_"

"Yes, research. All complicated endeavors require such. Now, go. Let me study on this matter. There may be a way." And he ushered them out of his room. Closed and locked the door. And barred it with a chain and deadbolt .

As soon as the sound of his teammates faded from detection, he went back to the middle of his magic circle. He hated having to lie to his friends, but if they'd known what he was planning, it was possible they would've….interfered.

In many human legends and myths, there are stories about humans who sell their souls to various dark powers, usually with drastic, negative consequences for the humans involved. Ray prepared to do something very similar, if not worse. The universe he was trying to reach was just there…..just a little ways off. It hadn't moved that much. Yet.

And so he prepared to send his soul-self into hypertime itself, literally stretching himself, his _being_ into a living bridge, what would be called a wormhole, except in this case, rather than consisting of energy, of force, it would consist of the whole of _himself_, all that he was.

Of course, the process would kill him, but he'd made his peace with that. And since it was his _soul_ self, it would probably burn out any immortal part of him, as well.

But if only he could get _his_ Gwen back, and maybe, just maybe, see her face, that smile, one last time…..

…..

"So….now what?" asked Terra. The three hadn't left Raven's room since the unsuccessful spell's breaking.

"I, I don't-*"

{{_**Errhum**__.__** Aren't we forgetting someone?**_}} asked a voice in all their minds.

"You!" Raven jolted as if somebody had stuck her with a cattle prod.

{{_**Yes, me. Typical humans; always trying to do everything yourselves. What do you think Gods are for, anyway? You've a problem; why not come to me with it?**_}}

…

The three sat in shock for a moment. Then, Raven "spoke" up with her mind: {{What do you propose? The moment is gone. Can you travel through time, bring it back? Or can you bring Garfield back, all by yourself?}}

There was silence for a moment. Then, {{_**There are complications with bringing Garfield back directly. Normally, I could, but…I'll have to discuss that matter with you in private, Raven. It IS a matter of…some importance.**_

_**As you say, the moment of perfect juxtaposition is past. However, it may be possible to do a little time travel, and give it another try, in such a way as to combine your present-day powers with those of your previous self. But we have to hurry; your counterpart in that other universe is preparing to sacrifice himself, literally casting himself into the time-stream, trying to reach you.**_}}

"Tell him not to!" shouted Gwen. "The big oaf! We'll, we'll manage, especially if you're as powerful as I've heard the others say. You _can_ help us, can't you?"

{{_**Me**__** telling him not to isn't going to work. He's determined to get you back, Gwen. And Gwen,**_}} and here, the Entity became dead serious, more so than Raven had ever heard him, so serious it was almost scary,{{_**something I need to mention to you, or rather, advise you about. I know you love Terry, and I'm all for that, but…..you may want to re-examine your relationships. **__**All**__** of them. Especially with Ray.**_}}

"No offense, but I believe the phrase for that is-*"

{{_**It's none of my business, yes, I know. And with anybody else, or in any other situation, you'd be absolutely right. But, Gwen, think: I'm an extradimensional transcosmic being literally composed of hundreds upon thousands of whole universes. Your personal life is none of my concern. **_

{{_**So it stands to reason this is not of a personal nature, not just meddlesome me, not as you suppose it to be, doesn't it?**_}}

Raven thought Gwen seemed awfully quiet after that.

{{_**Now. About the time travel part…..time travel, done in such a way as not to disrupt the fabric of the universe, is an extremely delicate and difficult procedure, if done properly.**_

_**The easiest and safest way, in this particular case, is to transport you to an antientropic universe, a universe where time runs what would be to you backward. Then, once you have traveled back to the point coexistent with the juxtaposition you had, bring you back to your own universe. Something like changing lanes on a highway, one going one way, the other going the other way. The difference being, you would only get one shot at this. It cannot be repeated, lest the structure of all that is be threatened**_**.**}}

"An antientropic universe?"

{{_**Yes. There are universes where time runs in what would be to you the exact opposite of here and now. You 'simply' catch a ride on/in one, taking you back in hypertime, returning to the time when the juxtaposition was perfect. The catch is, you couldn't survive in such an alien environment. I'd have to protect you from the effects of antientropy. That would require a significant amount of power; after all, I'd be fighting an entire universe. And you will need a tether, something to anchor you to the here and now. Otherwise, there is no telling exactly **__**where**__** you'd end up, coming back into your own universe, in this time**_**.**}}

"A…tether? From one part of a universe, through another, to yet another part of the first universe?" Raven was doubtful. "I'm not sure how to do that. Or if I could, even if I knew how."

{{_**Then perhaps neither magic nor Godly power isn't the complete answer in this case. Maybe you could use a boost from science. It's always good for people, mortals, to do what they can, as much as they can, in these sorts of situations, anyway. I don't want you to be sheep, as it were, led around by the nose, in the first place. I'd much rather you be wolves. They're better in a war.**_

{{_**For make no mistake: war is coming. In fact, the war is really already here.**_}}

_To be continued…._


	6. Chapter 6: The Way Home

Misplaced, chapter 6: The Way Home

_If you want to see what Gwendolyn Logan looks like, go to the Deviantart home page and search for Nancy171112's portrait of "Beast Girl". Nancy171112 is the artist whose picture inspired this story. And what an inspiration it was! Look it up!_

_I don't own the Teen Titans. Wish I did. _

Athena was working with the Kindred, attempting to determine what had gone wrong in their shared universe, that two people (at least, that was all she knew of) had been transposed, when the call came through. She checked her T-cell. Her jaw almost dropped in disbelief. _Raven_ was calling _her?_ "Uhm, yes? H-hello?" She hoped she'd given the proper greeting. This was _completely_ unexpected.

Raven's image appeared on the screen. "Athena. Are you at the Kindred's hive, right now?"

"Yes, I am. Do—do you…need something?" She still couldn't believe _Raven_ was calling _her._

"I certainly do."

…..

"Hm," muttered Alpha, when Raven had explained the matter to him. "An interdimensional tether, a rope of force, so to speak, connected to you. It would be tricky, but…"

"But could you do it?"

Athena spoke up. "What is needed is a zero-width wormhole or boom tube; such would not require nearly so much power."

"Yessss," Alpha's voder, hung around his neck, translated his thoughts into spoken English, "I can see it. It would still require a good deal of power, to go from one universe to another, and to another still, particularly this antientropic universe you spoke of, but I can see how it could be done. Normally, I would not sanction the procedure, as it would use up much of our resources," and here he sighed through his voder, "but you are allies to us now. Plus," and here, his mouth quirked from its usual disapproving frown into something vaguely reminiscent of a smile, "I know my daughter would give me no peace whatsoever were we not to aid you. So…" And even as he spoke, the machines in the room began to reconfigure themselves into the oddest looking shapes any of them had ever seen. He spoke to Raven. "You'd best get to work on your part. If what you say is true, we don't have long."

….

Ray had, for intents and purposes, taken a leap into hypertime, in a desperate gamble to find the one where Gwen was, hoping against hope it hadn't had the chance to move off too far. He didn't have quite the connection with her that Terry did, but he did have the one thing Terry didn't: the magic.

But just as before, it wasn't enough. The two universes had moved apart in hypertime. Just a little, but just enough. Yet still Ray stretched himself out, ever out, seeking, reaching….

It still wasn't enough. He had no way of finding the universe where Gwen was, not amongst the literally countless ones present in hypertime. Still, he did not give up. With his last remaining bit of strength, he continued to reach, to stretch, to sense…

He had gone too far. He had passed the point of no return. All that remained of him was the vaguest whisper of eldritch force, there in that place between universes. But he did not regret his actions, not in the slightest, only their ineffectiveness. _Gwen,_ his last agonized thought, _I'm sorry….I never…had the chance…to…tell you…_ There wasn't even enough left of him to finish the sentence.

For all intents and purposes, the sorcerer known as Ray had disappeared completely from the worlds of men. His teammates would never find any trace of him whatsoever.

….

_{{__**A magic circle isn't needed, Raven. Just the two of you—you and Gwen—gather in a more or less empty spot. Leave the driving to me. We have to hurry; he can't last long where he is.**__}} _

And then things _changed._

Neither Gwen nor Raven could actually see anything that made sense; it was like being on the inside of an ever-shifting kaleidoscope: nothing stayed still long enough to make sense, even if it would have in the first place. The two found themselves remembering the Entity's words, that they couldn't survive in such a universe. It was a whole lot easier to see why now. It was far more than things just running _backwards,_ like an old film being run in reverse…things were completely incomprehensible here.

They seemed to be in a bubble of some sort, that filtered out most of the light, so that they only got the barest glimpses of the strange universe they were in. Perhaps that was just as well; what little they _could_ see of it hurt to watch. Gwen ended up just closing her eyes. If everything went right, she would only be in this universe for the briefest of times, anyway.

Raven, however, concentrated. She wanted to miss nothing. After all, if the Entity was telling the truth, she was catching a glimpse of a universe such as she'd never again see.

But she couldn't see anything that might be useful….

{{_**Now, Raven. Close your eyes and concentrate just like you were. I'll guide you**_**…**}} And she could sense the Entity _shaping_ her spell, actually _rearranging_ it, combining it with the energy from the previous spell, and aiming it for a slightly different spot…..

….and suddenly it seemed as if she were reaching _through_ the protective bubble…and caught what felt like, for all the world, another human hand, just outside.

{{_**Here's where you get off, Gwen. The two of you: pass her off between you. **__**Go**__**. Once she's transposed, the other such transposition will automatically take place, a kind of interuniversal 'see saw' effect. And, Gwen: don't forget what I said**_**.**}} Gwen leaped, climbing down Raven's arm until she could feel the other…

Gwendolyn Logan found herself in the midst of Ray's magic circle, being pulled into place by Ray, who then hurriedly released the spell, the candles blowing out as if snuffed out by a tornado.

Gwen turned to him, the tears running down her face. It had worked, after all. "You big oaf!"

The tall, purple-haired man pushed back his hood, showing just the merest glimmer of a smile. "Well, I suppose I've been called worse, though seldom for doing anyone a _good_ deed."

The green girl caught him and hugged him so tightly he was afraid she'd break something. "Don't you EVER go all noble and self-sacrificing on me again, you hear?" He caught himself just in time to keep from blurting out that there was no one in all creation and beyond for whom he'd _rather_ "go all noble and self-sacrificing" for. "Well, it scarcely matters now. You're home, and you're safe."

"Yes, but we WILL talk about this, I promise you."

Such promises made him decidedly uneasy.

….

{{_**Now…Raven, activate the tether**_**.**}} Garfield had just appeared there in the protected bubble with her, looking very surprised, and astonished at the strange universe he could barely see. Raven pressed a button on the device Alpha had given her…..

And they suddenly found themselves back at the Kindred's lab. "Oof!" Both of them took a tumble when the protective bubble was released. Beast Boy caught Raven as she fell, cushioning her with his body. "Rae? You alright?"

She got up, and he got to his feet. Alpha looked up from his consoles, as did Athena. "It would appear," began the latter, "that the operation has been successful."

_{{__**No need to thank me, Raven. Just doing what Gods do. Happy to be of assistance…**__}}_

Raven interrupted the Entity's speech. {{Now. Just what did you mean, earlier, about something you needed to tell me about later?}}

_{{__**Go somewhere where you can sit down. In private. It….isn't good news.**__}}_

{{Well, anyway, let me get Gar back to Terra. I'm sure she's worried sick. Then we'll talk. Okay?}}

_{{__**Sounds like a plan to me.**__}}_

Gar and Terra hugged each other so hard, it was a wonder they didn't break any bones, thought Raven. "Darling…"

"Sweetheart…"

"I thought I'd never see you again."

"Same here." Terra sniffled, wiping her eyes and nose. "I think we've both some catching up to do." And she led him to the boom tube that would take them both back to the Tower.

Raven leaned against a console for a moment, regaining her strength and determining what to do next. Then she got up, and approached Alpha. "Thank you, Alpha. Words seem inadequate to express my gratitude, but thank you."

"You are quite welcome." Alpha's voder said. Then, he nodded in the direction of Athena, who'd already gone back to measuring how close the two membranes were in hypertime….after all, she might not get this chance again. "Perhaps there is someone _else_ you need to thank, as well?" Human emotions, and the psychology of them, especially in groups, were, after all, one of the many sciences Alpha had found it useful to study.

Raven steeled herself and approached Athena. This was the part she'd been dreading. She really didn't want to do it, but it was only right. Athena looked up at her approach, somewhat surprised. "Uh, yes, Raven?"

"I just wanted to say, thank you, Athena. I have no doubt but that we couldn't have done this without you. So, thank you. As I just said to Alpha, words are inadequate when it comes to expressing our—my—gratitude towards you for assisting us in this matter."

"I…..appreciate that, Raven. You are…quite welcome?" She was unsure what the correct response to these words. The Osiran girl looked up to her from her traditional heel-sitting posture. "I am…happy?...to have been of service to you."

"Well, thank you both again," Raven said as she moved towards the boom tube that would take her back to the Tower. And just as she entered it, she spoke, over her shoulder. "But still: stay out of my room. Understand?"

"Of course. I understand, Raven, and will comply." A short nod of her head as a gesture of respect. And, with its usual muted thunder, the boom tube closed around her.

Later, back at the Tower, in her room, Raven sat, in mid-air, legs crossed, eyes closed. {{Alright. Now what was so bad you couldn't talk about it earlier? Or in the company of others?

{{But before we start….what was all that with the cryptic warnings you were giving Gwen, back there, anyway?}}

{{_**I've said all there is to say about that matter. And probably more than I should have, anyway.**_}}

{{Well, then, let me ask you this: is Gwen in any danger?}}

{{_**Extremely .**_}}

{{Don't suppose you'd care to enlighten me about that?}}

Silence.

{{That's what I was afraid of.}} More silence. Raven sighed to herself. {{Oh, alright. Be that way. I know you well enough by now to know the proverbial wild horses couldn't drag it out of you when you decide to be all mysterious like this. But would I be out of line if I asked you to sort of keep an eye on…them…for me?}}

{{_**I believe I can manage that. How successful I'll be will depend, in large part, on them, and the actions they take, the choices they make. Otherwise, I'd have never warned Gwen in the first place.**_}}

{{Fair enough, I guess. Now, what was this thing you wanted to talk to me in private about, anyway? You surely have no problems talking to me about _that._}}

_{{__**Oh, it's nothing much. Just the end of the world. That's all.**__}}_

The End

Epilogue: across hypertime, Gwen made sure Terry was fast asleep, a deep, deep sleep, from which he'd be unlikely to awaken. Very slowly, and gently, ever so carefully, she disengaged herself from him, taking extreme care not to wake him. She got up out of bed and, still wearing her "grumpy cat" sleep shirt, padded, barefoot, down the hallway to Ray's room. "Enter," said a voice from within. But before she did, for reasons she'd never be able to explain, either then or later, she took off the engagement ring from her finger and, stooping down, laid it on the ground, just outside the doorway to Ray's room, but in a spot, and in such a way, facing the wall, to where it wouldn't be immediately noticed by someone coming down the hall.

Ray had been sitting, also in mid-air, like his counterpart a universe away, cross-legged, meditating. Her appearance here at this hour of the night surprised him. "Gwen? What are you doing up so late? And where's Terry?"

"Terry's asleep. Ray, you and I need to have a talk. A very serious talk." She sat, cross-legged on his couch, pulling her sleep shirt over her knees.

His face a careful mask, Ray floated down to the bed. He began to be just a little bit nervous. Being the sort to notice little things, he observed that she wasn't wearing her engagement ring at the moment. That was unusual. She always wore it, even in the midst of battle. Why would she take it off? For some reason, the lack of it made him more uneasy than he would have thought. Whatever could possibly be going on here?

…..

_So….gentle readers…what do you suppose they talked about?_


End file.
